The present invention generally relates to pads for hoofed animals and in particular it relates to pads for horses and cattle to aid in preventing injury to the hoof.
The hooves of domestic animals, especially equids, are dynamic, specialized epidermal structures subjected to many different forces and environments, as well as methods and ideas for care of them. All hooves are composed of a hard epidermal covering known by many names such as hoof-wall and insensitive horn. Secondly, beneath the wall is the sensitive corium composed of vessels, nerves, collagen, elastin, and other cellular and proteinaceous components. This architecture encases the third phalanx bone and its associated tendons, ligaments, and sesamoid bone. Traditional hoof care has consisted of trimming the wall and applying a shoe of metal or hard plastic to the wall to protect it from abrasions and chipping. Modifications are made and various single piece pads of leather, plastic, or rubber are applied to enhance support and protection of the basic shoe. The wall has classically been viewed as the weight bearing structure upon which the horse stands. Field observation of feral horses and pastured horses has led to differing thoughts on the horse""s foot and the function of its components.
For many years, farriers have inserted pads of various shapes, sizes and materials between a horse""s hoof and a horseshoe. The primary purposes for using such pads are: to protect the sole of the horse""s hoof; to act as shock absorbers and reduce concussion when the horse""s hoof and horseshoe strike the ground; to change the angle of the hoof relative to the ground; and to prevent snowballing.
Hoof pads are generally shaped to be secured, mechanically and/or chemically, between a horseshoe and at least the outer, peripheral portion of the horse""s hoof. The two most common shapes of hoof pads are xe2x80x9cfullxe2x80x9d pads and xe2x80x9crimxe2x80x9d pads, although other shapes are possible. xe2x80x9cFull,xe2x80x9d sometimes called xe2x80x9cflat,xe2x80x9d pads cover the entire bottom surface of the horse""s hoof and are used to protect the hoof and to keep it free of snow and debris. xe2x80x9cRimxe2x80x9d pads fit between a horseshoe and the hoof, and are generally about the same size and shape as a horseshoe so that only the outer, peripheral portion of the hoof is covered. Rim pads are used to put more distance between the sole and the ground. Shock absorbing pads, which are used to reduce concussion and vibrations to the hoof and leg structures of the horse, have been made in both full and rim styles and have been made from a variety of materials.
Currently, foot pads are either a single piece molded rubber/plastic unit, or they are created by combining two components to form a pad material which occupies the solar arch between the branches of the shoe. The latter is not pre-prepared, and is designed to fit flush or just above the plane of the ground contact surface of the shoe. None of these products can exist exclusively without a shoe or a mesh to secure them in place.
Furthermore, in the treatment of lameness and other diseases of the musculoskeletal system of horses and other domestic animals, it has been proposed to provide a resilient rubber layer between the bottom of the hoof of the animal and a shoe. Although treatments of this kind have been tried, they have not proven entirely successful both because the resilient material chosen has not been effective in reducing shock to the animal""s musculoskeletal system and also because some of the resilient materials, although effective at absorbing shock, have not proven to be sufficiently dimensionally stable to hold up when placed between the shoe and hoof of a horse or other animal.
It has been known to apply orthotic devices in the form of tapering wedges under the heel portion of a hoof to elevate and support the rear or heel portion. Such wedges have in the past extended the full width of the hoof and have been secured by the same nails that hold the shoe in place.
What is needed is a pad for a hoofed animal that protects the inner portion of the hoof that is neither a xe2x80x9crimxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cfullxe2x80x9d cushion.
The present invention provides a resilient pad to be placed between a foot and a shoe of a hoofed animal comprising a first region substantially defined by the area of the shoe and a second region substantially defined by an area enclosed by the shoe. The second region contains a shock absorbing area. The first region typically resides between the hoof and shoe and does not provide substantial shock absorbing properties.
An embodiment of the resilient pad may comprise a first region substantially defined by the area of the shoe and a second region having an envelope containing an elastomeric material. The second region resides in the area enclosed by the shoe. The pad typically includes a top and bottom layer wherein the top layer is in contact with the foot or hoof and the bottom layer is in contact with both the ground and shoe. The layers may be formed from a woven material. The elastomeric material can comprise a polymeric gel having a cross linked elastomeric polymer. The polymeric gel is typically a two part polymer formed from polybutadiene, a plasticizer, a prepolymer, a stabilizer and an isocyanate. Furthermore, the first region has a profile region which is less than the profile of the second region.
In a further embodiment, the pad has a second region defined by the inner edge of the shoe. The second region contains an envelope having an aggregate inside an envelope. The aggregate may be sand or other substantially hard particles such as solid polymer particles, hollow beads, foamed polymer particles, perlite, calcium carbonate, clay, dolomite, sand, barium sulfate, mica, silica, talc, gypsum, wollastonite, calcite, aluminum trihydrate, zinc oxide, zinc sulfate, and mixtures thereof.
An additional embodiment includes a pad having a second region defined by the inner edge of the shoe having a fluid filled envelope. The fluid may be a gas such as air or a liquid such as water or a liquid polymer. The fluid is typically contained in an impervious envelope which may be formed from an elastic polymeric sheet. The pad further includes a top and bottom portion formed from a woven or nonwoven material.
A further embodiment includes a pad for a cloven hoofed animal, such as in the case of a cow. In this embodiment, the resilient pad for a hoofed animal comprises a first hemisphere having a first shock absorbent envelope and a second hemisphere having a second shock absorbent envelope. The hemispheres may be joined at the ends to create a xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d shaped wedge such that the xe2x80x9ctoesxe2x80x9d of the animal may move freely.
Additionally, a method is provided for treating a foot of a hoofed animal comprising the steps of affixing to the foot of the hoofed animal a resilient pad. The resilient pad comprises a first region substantially defined by the area of a shoe and a second region having a shock absorbing envelope. The second region is substantially defined by an area enclosed by the shoe. The method may further include affixing a shoe to the foot of the hoofed animal.